May 21, 2003

The University of California, Santa Cruz, calendar must be developed in accordance with UC systemwide and UCSC campus guidelines.

I. UC Systemwide Guidelines

The University of California “Guidelines for Establishing the Academic and Administrative Calendar” follow.

http://www.ucop.edu/ucophome/coordrev/da/da0556guide.html

Revised 7/20/87

Veterans Day was added as a university holiday per the president’s issuance on January 20, 2000.

1. Arrangements shall be made for completing registration and similar preliminaries after the beginning of the quarter or semester and prior to the beginning of the period of instruction or by prearrangement during the preceding quarter or semester.

2. The fall, winter, and spring quarters (or fall and spring semesters) shall provide periods of instruction with a total of not less than 146 days (Mondays through Fridays, less holidays) as evenly divided among the quarters or semesters as possible, with no fewer than 48 days of instruction in any one quarter.

3. Each quarter and semester shall provide for up to six days and nine days of scheduled final examinations respectively, after the last day of instruction and within the quarter or semester; or, in lieu of such an examination period in a given quarter or semester, the period of instruction for the quarter or semester shall be increased by five or six days over that prescribed above.

4. The dates for filing study lists shall be included for each quarter or semester.

5. Holidays observed: third Monday in January (Martin Luther King, Jr., Holiday); third Monday in February (Presidents’ Day); one administrative holiday to be approved by the President (“Spring Holiday”); last Monday in May (Memorial Day); Independence Day; Labor Day; Thanksgiving Day; Friday following Thanksgiving Day; two days for Christmas; and two days for New Year’s. If any of these fall on a Saturday and/or a Sunday, equivalent holidays should be designated on weekdays.

II. UCSC Campus Guidelines

UCSC campus “Guidelines for Establishing the Academic and Administrative Calendar” follow.

1. Incorporate the campus administrative holiday calendar, including the Cesar Chavez Holiday to be observed on the last Friday in March.

2. Observe approved campus closure dates for UCSC.

3. Provide for up to four days of scheduled final exams per quarter. If at all possible, exams will be scheduled on weekdays. When possible, a weekend will be provided between the end of instruction and the start of finals. California Education Code 92640(a) requires that faculty must accommodate requests for alternate examination dates at a time when that activity would not violate a student’s religious creed.

4. UCSC will not utilize exchange days.

Fall Quarter

5. Fall quarter should begin on a Saturday, and instruction should begin on a Thursday. This provides time prior to the start of instruction for activities including move in, orientation, and placement testing.

6. Start and end dates of fall quarter are determined by the Thanksgiving holiday, with at least one week of instruction following that holiday.

7. Veterans Day is observed on November 11 when that day falls on a weekday. When November 11 falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday will be observed. When November 11 falls on a Sunday, the following Monday will be observed.

Winter Quarter

8. Winter quarter begins as early in January as possible, but not on a Friday. One workday should be provided before instruction begins.

9. The spring break should include one week plus two weekends.

Spring Quarter

10. Spring quarter should begin on a Monday, and the first day of the quarter may be the first day of instruction.

11. Spring quarter ends on a Thursday.

12. Commencement ceremonies and celebrations may be scheduled Friday through Sunday following the end of spring quarter.